Hurricane Sandy Charity Dinner at <a target="_blank" href="http://www.themodernnyc.com/">The
Modern</a>

9 West 53rd Street

New York, NY 10019

(212) 333-1220

Wines:


<a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=1990+Soldera+Case+Basse+Brunello+di+Montalcino+Riserva">
 </a><table>
 <tbody><tr>
 <td>
 2002
 </td>
 <td>
 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=2002++Bollinger+Vieilles+Vignes">Bollinger
 Vieilles Vignes Françaises</a>
 </td>
 <td>
 98
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2004
 </td>
 <td>
 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=2004+Bollinger+Vieilles+Vignes">Bollinger
 Vieilles Vignes Françaises</a>
 </td>
 <td>
 90
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1982
 </td>
 <td>
 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=1982+krug">Krug
 Vintage (Magnum)</a>
 </td>
 <td>
 98
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1982
 </td>
 <td>
 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=1982+Dom+P%C3%A9rignon">Dom
 Pérignon (Magnum)</a>
 </td>
 <td>
 97
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2000
 </td>
 <td>
 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=2000+Leflaive+Chevalier+Montrachet">Domaine
 Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet</a>
 </td>
 <td>
 95
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2000
 </td>
 <td>
 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=2000+Domaine+de+la+Roman%C3%A9e+Conti+Montrachet">Domaine
 de la Romanée Conti Montrachet</a>
 </td>
 <td>
 96
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1990
 </td>
 <td>
 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=1990+Domaine+Dujac+Bonnes+Mares+">Domaine
 Dujac Bonnes Mares</a>
 </td>
 <td>
 97
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1993
 </td>
 <td>
 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=1993+Domaine+Dujac+Bonnes+Mares+">Domaine
 Dujac Bonnes Mares</a>
 </td>
 <td>
 98
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1947
 </td>
 <td>
 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=1947+Conterno+Monfortino">Giacomo
 Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino</a>
 </td>
 <td>
 95
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1955
 </td>
 <td>
 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=1955+Conterno+Monfortino">Giacomo
 Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino</a>
 </td>
 <td>
 96
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1961
 </td>
 <td>
 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=1961+Conterno+Monfortino">Giacomo
 Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino</a>
 </td>
 <td>
 95
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1971
 </td>
 <td>
 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=1971+Conterno+Monfortino">Giacomo
 Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino</a>
 </td>
 <td>
 99
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1978
 </td>
 <td>
 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=1978+Conterno+Monfortino">Giacomo
 Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino</a>
 </td>
 <td>
 100
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1982
 </td>
 <td>
 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=1982+Conterno+Monfortino">Giacomo
 Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino</a>
 </td>
 <td>
 97
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1990
 </td>
 <td>
 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=1990+Soldera+Case+Basse+Brunello+di+Montalcino">Soldera
 Case Basse Brunello di Montalcino</a>
 </td>
 <td>
 97
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1990
 </td>
 <td>
 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=1990+Soldera+Case+Basse+Brunello+di+Montalcino+Riserva">Soldera
 Case Basse Brunello di Montalcino Riserva</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=1990+Soldera+Case+Basse+Brunello+di+Montalcino+Riserva">
 </a></td><td><a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=1990+Soldera+Case+Basse+Brunello+di+Montalcino+Riserva">
 </a>100</td></tr></tbody></table>

Food:

Caviar Beggar’s Purse with
Gold Leaf and Lime

Crispy Shrimp with Lemongrass
Dipping Sauce

Yellow Fin Tuna Tartare wrapped
in Cucumber and Shiso White Truffle Toast

Hamachi, Black Truffle and
Foie Gras Millefeuille, Truffle Vinaigrette

Sturgeon and Sauerkraut Tart,
American Caviar Mousseline and Applewood Smoke

Roasted Maine Lobster,
Kohlrabi Purée, and Jamón Emulsion

Chestnut Fettuccine with
Poached Egg and Truffles

Squab and Foie Gras
Croustillant, Caramelized Ginger Jus, and Farm Vegetables

Roasted Mangalitsa Pork,
Sopressata “Ravioli,” Marcona Almond, and Blackberry Gastrique

Comte with Walnuts and
Hazelnut Oil

Apple Strudel with Prune
Armagnac Ice Cream

Truffle Assortment and Marron
Glace

Like many New Yorkers, I was
deeply affected by Hurricane Sandy, although not to the extent of the millions
of people who had their lives turned upside down by the sheer devastation
caused by the storm. I was thrilled and honored when Danny Meyer and John Ragan
asked me to host a charity dinner as part of their auction to support the
Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City. Meyer and Ragan raised over $250,000 for
Hurricane Sandy victims through their enormous passion and dedication. 

I thought it would be fun to
do something different, so this charity lot included a private tour of several
galleries at the Museum of Modern Art, followed by dinner at The Modern. Executive
Chef Gabriel Kreuther prepared a menu full of his signature Alsatian-inspired
dishes to pair with our wines. The Sturgeon and Sauerkraut Tart, Chestnut
Fettucine with Poached Egg and Truffles and Brandt Family Farm Beef Skirt Steak
were among the many highlights. Readers who want to learn more about the
charity and some of the wines might enjoy this <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/multimedia/in-the-cellar-with-john-ragan-jan-2014">short
video</a> I shot with Ragan in The Modern’s cellar just before
dinner.

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1389288955257-DiningRoom.jpg"> The&nbsp;table is set

We start with a side-by-side
comparison of Bollinger’s 2002 and 2004 Vieilles Vignes Françaises, one of
my favorite Champagnes. The 2002 is spectacular, as it always is. Rich, warm
and resonant, the 2002 covers the
palate with seemingly endless layers of burnished, honeyed fruit and the most
finessed, subtle mousse imaginable. I
don’t see the 2002 making old bones, but it is flat-out great tonight. The 2004, on the other hand, is
disappointing. More advanced in its flavors and with quite a bit less structure
than the 2002, the 2004 is already maturing and needs to be enjoyed sooner
rather than later.

Next it’s time to see some of
the galleries upstairs at the MOMA. I have to say, walking through the galleries
with no one else around is an incredible privilege. We spent most our time
looking at works by Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko, two of my personal
favorites. The total silence in the gallery makes it possible to get totally
lost in these canvases. 

Both 1982 Champagnes are
utterly spellbinding. It is amazing to taste these wines at 30 years of age and
see that their signatures are all very much intact. Of course, the magnum
format is so ideal for Champagne. The 1982
Krug Vintage is warm, toasty and
totally expressive, with gorgeous exotic orange peel and white truffle
overtones. This is one of my very favorite Krug vintages. Although fully
mature, the 1982 is going to continue to develop at a glacial pace. The 1982 Dom Pérignon is just a little more
focused and vibrant in style. Here it is the wine’s salivating minerality that
really sings. It, too, is quite youthful and vibrant for its age. What a
flight.

Is there anything better than
fine, aged white Burgundy? What a treat it is to taste these two spectacular
wines. Domaine Leflaive’s 2000 Chevalier-Montrachet
is wonderfully aromatic, lifted and precise. The texture is that of an aged
wine, but the flavors remain so bright and vibrant. Subtle and layered to the
core, the 2000 Chevalier is simply stunning. Hints of almond, pear, apple and
white flowers linger on the celestial finish. Domaine de la Romanée Conti’s 2000 Montrachet takes us into the
stratosphere. Here the flavors are deeper, richer and bolder, but still very
much fresh and vibrant. Readers who own the 2000 should not be in a hurry, the
wine will drink well for many years. Subtle botrytised notes are just beginning
to appear in this gorgeous, utterly compelling Montrachet. <img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1389288967851-ChampsandBurgs1.jpg"> 

Champagne
and white Burgundy; what’s not to love?

The two wines from Domaine
Dujac alone would have made for a magnificent evening. What a flight. The 1990 Bonnes Mares is flashy, ripe and
totally seductive. The flavors are silky, racy and impeccably balanced. Today,
the 1990 is firing on all cylinders, its obvious ripeness, very nicely balanced
by bright acidity and plenty of structure. I much prefer the 1990 Bonnes Mares
to the Clos la Roche, which I tasted a few weeks ago. The 1993 Bonnes Mares is initially quite firm, but then after an hour
or so it transforms into an electric Burgundy of simply extraordinary finesse
and complexity. The aromatics are more floral, lifted and savory than in the
1990. Everything is simply in the right place. The 1990 will continue to drink
well for many years, although I am not sure it will necessarily improve. The
1993, on the other hand, appears to still be acquiring complexity. What a
magical bottle of wine it is!

What follows is easily the
greatest collection of Monfortinos I have ever tasted. All six wines are off
the charts. Pre-1970s Conterno Barolos are nearly impossible to find in good
shape, so the first three wines were especially amazing. Conterno’s 1947 Barolo Riserva Monfortino takes a
little bit of time to open up. Iron, smoke, intense red fruits and a host of
ferrous notes. I have not had a lot of good luck with Monfortinos from the
1940s, but this bottle is superb. The flavors are intense and earthy in a
virile Monfortino that delivers the goods, and then some. What a bottle. The 1955 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is pure
silk on the palate. Perfumed, gracious and beautifully lifted, the 1955 is as
feminine as Monfortino gets. Hints of orange peel, spices and sweet tobacco
linger on the close. The 1955 is tough to follow, but the 1961 Monfortino proves up to the task. Here it is the wine’s pure
textural finesse and inner sweetness that dazzle most of all. In this flight,
the 1947 and 1955 got better with air, while the 1961 was at its most beautiful
early on.

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1389288978445-Monfortinos.jpg"> Six
magnificent Monfortinos spanning five decades

As good as the older wines
are, the 1971 Barolo Riserva Monfortino
is just insanely beautiful. Still deeply colored and intense to the core, the
1971 delivers a classic Monfortino experience. Layers of dark, mineral-infused
fruit flow across the palate in a deep, muscular Monfortino endowed with
stunning depth. The 1971 shows why it is one of the all-time greats. This is a
mind-blowing bottle.&nbsp; The 1982 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is
layered, perfumed and pretty seductive, it is also the most open of the three
Barolos in this flight. I have always adored the 1982, but in this flight, its
place in history is pretty evident. What a thrill it is to drink the 1978 Monfortino. This is my last
bottle, and I can’t think of a better occasion to enjoy it. The 1978 has
everything; expressive aromatics, deep, resonant fruit, and the structure to
age well for another 20 years, perhaps more. Waves of black fruit,
balsamic-inflected spices and minerals stain the palate on the endless finish.
The 1978 Monfortino is an iconic wine, and this bottle is off the charts.

Can things get even better?
Yes. I haven’t tasted Soldera’s two 1990 Brunellos side by side in years. The 1990 Brunello di Montalcino, from my
cellar, is extraordinary. I tasted the wine alone, I would say it is the single
greatest Brunello I have ever had. The fruit is so dense, vibrant, pure and
layered. Wow. But then the 1990 Riserva arrives and we are transported into
another world. A dazzling, voluptuous, full-bodied wine, the 1990 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is
simply breathtaking. I have had the privilege – and it is a privilege – to
drink the 1990 Riserva four of five times over the last few years and it has
never been less than spellbinding. This is quite possible the very best bottle
I have ever encountered. 

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1389288989320-Soldera.jpg"> Gianfranco
Soldera’s 1990 Brunellos side-by-side

It’s a shame when evenings
like this have to end, but the memories last forever. I am deeply indebted to the
wine lovers who bought this lot and shared precious wines from their cellars,
and to Danny Meyer, John Ragan, Gabriel Kreuther and the entire Union Square
Hospitality Group for hosting a magnificent, truly once in a lifetime dinner.

-- Antonio Galloni

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